Can't Burn Ashe
by Kessie-Louise
Summary: Ashe is the first successful fusion of Reploid and human DNA through a simulated human-based birth. She's practically famous. However, her mother Ren Bonne, master of the local black market, has kept Ashe from the public eye for as long as she could. After Ashe finds a Reploid in an old lab, the truth of her heritage will come spilling out, and not even Ren can stop the truth. [AU]
1. Headline

**New Eden Times 22****nd**** Edition**

**October 23, 21XX**

**Headline: Babe Born With Bytes**

**. . .**

_**It's hard to surprise this old reporter anymore. But today marks an occasion so spectacular and so rare, that even I nearly fell over with shock and awe. You see, dear readers, today we have greeted the first babe born from the fusion of human DNA and Reploid DNA. The child's name you ask? Ashe Bonne.**_

_**Some of my faithful readers would be asking 'Bonne? Isn't that the name of the folks who run the black market on the corner of Teondinn &amp; Occamp?' Yes my dear readers, the exact same. Not all details are known about why this certain family was chosen, considering the odd goings on around the area- it certainly wouldn't be where I would want to raise my child. The brunt of the controversy about this child is centered around Mrs Ren Bonne, head of the black market herself. Mrs Bonne was once known as Reploid Model 53X at the Nouveau Moulin Rouge thirty years ago, wherein Mrs Bonne's programming was illegally altered by the late Di Bonne (DOD January 26 21XX, aged 87) and soon rose to be one of the most feared ladies in this generation without holding any political power.**_

_**Only time can tell for what will happen to this precocious child. God knows she'll need it...**_

_**For more information about this new procedure and what is involved, please refer to the original texts of Thomas T. Hikari 'Observations of Integrations' and Master Albert's 'Reploid Resource Journal' #45h3, Revised Edition**_


	2. Doughnuts

Giving her mother heart attacks wasn't always on Ashe's agenda- most days it seemed like it was on accident. Not that heart attacks would do much for the old and wizened looking Reploid, even if they could effect her like it could effect humans.

Ashe was born twenty years ago inside a shady-looking laboratory and given to her mother as cameras flashed and blinded too many in the proximity. But the hybrid girl did not look twenty years old, and revealing her age gave her many stares from folks who did not know her true nature. Ashe appeared to be only twelve years old, mentally she would range from actually acting her accepted age to acting how she appeared- it depended on what mood she was in and whether she felt like it or not.

Running away was today's test of boundary.

Ashe's sneakers slapped the pavement as she ran away from the areas owned by the local black market. The feeling was so invigorating that Ashe nearly laughed at how easy it all was.

_Momma's always joking about putting a leash on me, _Ashe thought to herself as she jumped over a small puddle brought on by an old drain pipe, _little does Momma know that this pup's gotta be set loose some time!_

Ashe laughed at herself and kept running until she came to a spot that she wasn't quite familiar with, and slowed down to a nice, leisurely walking pace to admire the new scenery. There wasn't much to look at unfortunately, all the buildings were the same dead gray color and all the signs consisted of black lettering that wasn't at all pleasing to the eye. The little shops and rugs that gave indication of individual vendor locations at the black market looked better than this little district.

_Dull, boring. Boring, dull... _Ashe thought dimly, _Are any of these stores even open?_

As if to answer her silent call, the smell of some kind of freshly baked food filled the air and almost immediately made Ashe's stomach growl. Following the scent with the command of her angry stomach- Ashe wandered through the district until she came to a small bakery. One yank on the door and Ashe found that the smell was only to tease her in her lonely state.

"Shoot..." Ashe said to herself before she started to peer through the window. It proved to be a rather faulty move as it only made her more hungry. "Why didn't I eat before I left?"

Ashe started to walk away from the shop, but was stopped when the door to the bakery opened and the owner looked outside for her.

"Hey, kid!" the owner shouted, "We're open for business! It's a 'push' door, not a 'pull' door."

Oops...

Feeling rather stupid and embarrassed, Ashe walked back to the store. Noticing the girl's embarrassment, the store owner felt a bit of compassion and understanding. But there where some questions that needed to be answered before the owner felt compelled to do anything generous...

"What's your name kid?" the shop owner asked as the child idled by the display stand near the window.

"Momma calls me a pain in the ass," the kid said simply enough, "Some of the people I call friends call me the beta bitch princess- but I suppose you could call me Ashe if you want, it's what is written on my birth certificate."

The shop owner took a moment to look at Ashe, but the young child did not show signs of joking and seemed quite serious.

"Where did you come from, er... Ashe?" the shop keeper asked as he started to unlock the cabinet with donuts inside.

"The corner of Teondinn and Occamp."

"Isn't that where the black market is? What would a young child like you be doing in a place like that?"

"I was raised there- is that a problem?"

"No, not at all. Unlike few, I hold no prejudice against black markets of any kind. It takes real skill to perfectly copy something, ya know? Especially when there are humans doing all that work. It makes me kind of jealous, really."

Ashe nodded her head slowly to show she understood. She had seen the process that some of the vendors go through to make their products look like the real thing. Even she was amazed at the detail that went into the whole 'art theft,' 'plagiarized,' and 'recast' thing. Ashe had also noticed that certain vendors chose to specialize in what they sold- Reploids were more likely to reproduce sculptures, pottery, and of the like, while humans were more likely to reproduce paintings or sewed items like purses and clothes. It was one of her favorite parts about growing up in the black market: it made her appreciate art in a whole.

"It's getting rather late," the shop owner then said as he walked over to her with a brown paper bag in hand, "You should get going to where ever you're going. Take these for the road, you look like you haven't eaten anything for awhile and it may help you keep your metabolism up."

Ashe looked at the brown paper bag the owner offered to her and carefully took it. She looked inside for a small peek and started to smile a tiny bit.

"Momma hates donuts." Ashe said softly, but rather mischievously. "They fry her circuits."

The shop owner gave Ashe a confused and stunned look. Ashe looked up at him and smile happily.

"Thank you for the donuts, I hope to see you again soon!" she then said with a wave as she left the store. The shop owner said nothing and only stared.

. . .

Ashe made it back to the black market as the sun cast its red glow over the city streets. Her mother was waiting for her in full rage.

"Before you say anything," Ashe quickly said, presenting her mother with the brown paper bag, "I love you very much, I came back before dark, and I got a doughnut for free. Here ya go!"

With that, Ashe ran away before her mother could even have a minute to think.


	3. Gambit

There were tourists at the black market today. And by judging from the looks of them, Ashe knew she was going to have a fun day.

There is always a difference between the folks who accidentally wander into the black market, and those who try to find it purposely. The main difference is their initial reaction when they found out they were in the black market. People who find it purposely for the sole reason of just knowing where it is get very excited- so excited that it becomes a rather nice exploit for making fun of them without them even knowing.

Since killing people was apparently illegal, Ashe took a hand at scaring the crap out of them. Having a slower growing rate than humans helped a lot with this particular little hobby.

"See that ditz with the blonde hair?" one of the vendors, a Reploid named Taniyen said softly to Ashe.

"Yeah." the girl agreed, looking at Taniyen with interest.

"She's the reason why that little group of four is here." Taniyen told her.

"How'd you figure?" Ashe asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Everyone in that party but her is wary about being here. And they know, and I'm confident that they _know_, that they are in the black market. She, however, is acting like a kid that was given an entire toy store for Christmas."

"What are you suggesting you do with her?" Ashe asked with intrigue. Taniyen looked at Ashe and gave her a rather satisfied smirk.

"Ah, my dear, the question you should truly be asking is; what are _you_ going to do with her?" Taniyen told her. Ashe looked at him as her mouth slowly twisted into a mischievous smile.

. . .

"This is fantastic!" the blonde ditz in charge said as she navigated her small group through the black market. "I hear we can get pretty good deals here you know!"

Ashe rolled her eyes at the pure stupidity of the blonde haired woman. Tricking her was going to be easy- if only she had made a bet with Taniyen about this, Ashe would have been five bucks richer without even lifting a finger.

"Help!" Ashe started to shout helplessly. "Oh please, someone help me!"

It took a few moments, but the tourists found their way to her. Ashe made her eyes glisten with tears with pity and self loathing.

"Help me please," Ashe pleaded with the most pathetic voice she had, "I twisted my ankle, I can't walk, and I saw this really big scary man walk by with a gun. I'm so scared right now, can you help me get away from here?"

The tourists looked at each other uncertainly- they sure didn't know who she was, but then again, she only seemed to be a helpless little girl- or, at least, a little girl that knew how to sell the split.

"Of course we will sweetie." the blonde ditz said without hesitation, just as Ashe hoped she would.

"Carla!" one of the tourists who appeared to be human, snapped at the blonde ditz.

"She's just a child Trish." the blonde ditz said, "You have children, don't you think we should help her find her parents at least?"

Ashe held back any kind of emotion that would have derailed her plan.

"Fine..." Trish agreed with a grumble.

"Thank you, thank you ever so much!" Ashe said sweetly as the blonde ditz and the only male in the group of four helped her stand up. Ashe even made sure that she hoped on the ankle that was 'broken' to keep her plan sound.

"There you go," the blonde ditz said, even giving Ashe a smile, "Now we can get you to the hospital."

Ashe opened her mouth and to the surprise of the tourists, she let out an earsplitting scream that nearly made the tourists deaf.

"Help! Help me, they're taking me away!" Ashe screamed. "They're hurting me! Help! Help!"

"Fuck it Carla, I warned you!" Trish shouted as Ashe continued to scream. But the human woman's anger was drowned out by Ashe's act.

It was the sound of gunshots that made the party go silent.

"What are you doing to Miss Ashe?" a voice said from not that far away.

"Her mother isn't going to be too pleased to see you take her away." another voice said.

"Let her go, or the trigger may not be so generous a second time." a third voice added.

The tourists looked to see three Reploids who looked almost identical except for their helments.

"We... we weren't hurting her!" the blonde ditz said, so confused that she was about to cry.

"Nicol! Lazarus! Red!" Ashe said gratefully, "You have to help me! They wanted to take me to the scientists!"

"N-no we weren't!" the blondie ditz said horrifically. "Wh-why would we do that?!"

"Don't give us that." Lazarus told the party with an eye roll.

"We know how rare Ashe's DNA is." Red said.

"I'm sure you've heard of her, being the first hybrid and all." Nicol added.

"Her DNA is more rare than that albino kid Giro Express tried to smuggle the other day." Red concluded.

"Hy... hy... hy..." the blonde ditz started to stutter, looking at Ashe with confusion and fear.

"Hi, to you too." Ashe said with a smile.

"I... I follow all the tabloids," the blonde ditz then said, "How... how did I not..?"

"Surprise." Ashe said with a rather malicious smile. "Too young for you?"

The blonde ditz said nothing, and only looked on with her mouth gaped open in surprise.

"Now, this will be your last warning," Red told the tourists, as he raised his gun, "Get out, or the market's gonna have some new accessories to sell."

With wide eyes, the blonde ditz ran in the opposite direction without hesitation- the rest of her party not following that far behind. Ashe watched them run with a certain glitter of amusement in her eyes as her three friends came closer to her side.

"_Are_ you okay?" Nicol asked. Ashe looked at her friends and laughed.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked. It took her friends a few moments, but they soon knew what she had done.

"You lying little..." Lazarus started to say, but was cut of by Ashe's playful giggle.

"Have I mentioned how much I love you guys today?" Ashe asked as she giggled a little more.

"'Love' is a loose and underrated word to you, you little bastard." Nicol told her sternly.

Ashe's response was a laugh that nearly made her keel over in hysterics.


	4. Interview

"Ashe, get those boxes for me and bring them over to Dutch Rogers's venue."

"Why? Your bones are made out of steel too- I helped give Madame Bouche's order to her earlier and I think I hurt something."

Ren Bonne's stare to her only daughter was one that illustrated certain death and anger.

"You've existed for twenty years girl." Mrs Bonne threatened. "The scientists brought you into this world, and I can take you out before you even dream of another twenty more years."

"But Momma," Ashe said in a cute tone, "Defiance is clearly an inherited trait in our family."

The old Reploid did not waiver and only stared her daughter down.

"Right!" Ashe agreed instantly. "Dutch Rogers, boxes, on it!"

"Thank you pup." Mrs Bonne approved with a nod. "Now hurry, and get out of here with those before he starts marching over here himself."

"Yes ma'am." Ashe agreed quickly before picking up the two (rather heavy) boxes and skirted away without wasting another moment. Mrs Bonne watched her daughter leave with a proud little huff. But the feeling of pride was fleeting when Taniyen came forward with a woman that looked dressed like a skank and held herself like a movie star- except she looked a little beaten up, likely from getting caught by Teniyen, who had secretly dedicated himself to protecting the black market.

One look at Mrs Bonne, and the skank knew she was in trouble.

"We don't need you here." Mrs Bonne told the skank in a cold tone. "You need to state your business with the next thirty seconds, or I'll ask Taniyen to kick your prissy ass until your own mother can't recognize you."

The skank took a look at Teniyen -who was a lot stronger than what he first appeared- and gulped.

"I... I was told that I w-would be able to find Ashe B-Bonne here." the skank said nervously. "I-it's been twenty years and... and the community would like to know where their tax paying dollars went."

Mrs Bonne snorted.

"The tax payers didn't spend a cent on the creation of the abomination child." the old Reploid said. "The 'community' that you speak of had nothing to do with the procedure, nor do they need to be informed about it."

"But... but Hikari's plans, they were public record- and... and the Sage Trinity would have collected tax initiatives to fund the project!"

"Thomas Hikari was a retarded moron, it wasn't his research that led to the birth of the abomination- and the so called Sage Trinity did not fund it."

"But...!"

"Get out." Mrs Bonne said in a low tone. "Or I will make you."

"Y-yes ma'am..." the skank agreed. But that was when Mrs Bonne saw a certain flicker in the skank's eye that made the Reploid have a brief moment of fear. "But if I may ask something- are the rumors that Di Bonne and Master Albert are related true?"

For a moment, Mrs Bonne froze.

"Taniyen..." Mrs Bonne said in such a soft tone that it was hard to hear her, "Please leave us for a few moments."

Taniyen gave Mrs Bonne a wary look, but obeyed. One the Reploid was out of eye range, the skank then held herself higher and almost appeared threatening.

"For the most feared cretin of this generation, that sure as hell was one bullshit of a move." the skank told Mrs Bonne darkly.

"Am I the only one playing with shit?" Mrs Bonne responded coolly. "Perhaps you haven't watched your step since you entered my kennel."

The skank, no longer under the eye of Taniyen, did not back down.

"Tell me about the Weil family." the skank told the old Reploid, "Or I'll tell the freak everything I know and make her come with me."

"I will never violate the vows I made." Mrs Bonne informed the skank, to which she laughed at.

"He's dead!" the skank laughed, "His skeleton lies dormant six feet under. 'Til death do us part', or do you live in a lie from the natural separation?"

Now, it was Mrs Bonne's turn to laugh.

"Di did not have to change my programming. I didn't have to marry him. I do not have to respect the vows we made although he has left me, and his biological daughter never got to meet him. And yet, I have more honor for my dead husband than most hussies can say about their living ones."

"So he made you love him, even after his death? I am impressed."

"I. Am. A. Reploid." Mrs Bonne said slowly as anger started to boil in her circuits. "I. Have. Free. Will. As. Intended."

"And you love a dead man."

"I _never_ said I loved him."

The skank gave Mrs Bonne a rather hard stare as the two were silent for several minutes. To Mrs Bonne's dismay, Ashe was coming back from helping Dutch Rogers. The child was not dense, however, and she paused when she saw the skank. In fact, Ashe nearly backed up and walked in the opposite direction as if she had taken a wrong turn.

"Would you kindly wait, please." the skank then told Ashe sweetly, but an undertone in her voice made Mrs Bonne's fists start to clench. Ashe stood where she was, her face growing pale with an inherent fear that stemmed from feeding off of her mother's anger.

"Tell me young thing, what do you know about the Weil family?"

Ashe looked at Mrs Bonne with confusion.

"Mrs Bonne, am I authorized to-"

"You do not need her permission to answer a history question." the skank snapped at the hybrid. Ashe's body tensed again, this time with her own head rush of anger from being cut off by a stranger.

"Dr Barlet Weil helped create the Mother Elf," Ashe started to say, a hint of her anger hinted through in her tone, "The Mother Elf then merged with Mega Man X for a brief period of time to end the 'natural' Maverick outbreaks. But Dr Weil had fitted the Mother Elf with the personality of a human he had the hots for and he ended up destroying the peace that could have been with the Mother Elf."

"Good girl." the skank then said, rather admirably- but Mrs Bonne knew that it was only because Ashe had revealed information that wasn't known to everyone.

"Now, would you kindly, tell me what you know about Master Albert."

"He's part of the Sage Trinity."

"Is that all?"

Ashe remained silent and threw a side glance at Mrs Bonne. Unfortunately, the old Reploid couldn't say or do anything to get the poor hybrid out of her situation.

"What if I told you, young thing, that Dr Weil and Master Albert are related?"

Ashe shrugged in response, not sure what to say.

"Oh, it's true." the skank told Ashe with a certain glimmer in her eye. "Master Albert is Dr Weil's estranged son. You see, Dr Weil had a wife named Rivina who died quite suddenly at such a young age- through her, Dr Weil gave birth to Albert Weil, named after Rivina's brother in law, Albert Wiley. After the death of Rivina, Master Albert saw the world differently from his father, and when Dr Weil got 'the hots' for the lady that would become the Mother Elf, well, that was the last straw for Master Albert."

Ashe looked at the skank, giving a look of cold distrust.

"Do you want to know who connects Rivina to Albert Wiley?" the skank then asked, flashing Mrs Bonne a look of being victorious.

"No." Ashe said calmly. "Thank you for the offer, but I think that I've learned enough from you for today."

The skank's jaw dropped as Mrs Bonne started to feel like the victorious one. That was _her_ little freak standing up for herself!

"You have five minutes to head out alone." Ashe then said. "Or Taniyen would gladly help you."

The skank just looked at Ashe.

"Four minutes." Ashe then said, paused for a moment, then said, "Three minutes."

Out of no where, Taniyen came up behind the skank- providing the hidden signal for her to start running.

"Two minutes..."

The skank just looked at Ashe as hatred started to boil up and down her spine.

"One minute."

Now, what do you think the skank did next?


	5. Girouette

**Recommended music for this chapter: Lutece from the Bioshock Infinite soundtrack**

. . .

The only thing Ashe knew about him was his name and what he did for a living. Mrs Bonne knew much more than that, but she wasn't going to tell Ashe any of it any time soon.

His name didn't help matters much either.

"Girouette, pleased to see you are doing well again." Mrs Bonne greeted the fellow Reploid, exchanging a rather rigid European kiss on the cheek. "How is the boy doing?"

"Growing." the long blonde haired and blue eyed Reploid replied in a naturally soft tone. "How is your changeling?"

"Volatile." the aged looking Reploid replied sourly.

"Oh?" Girouette asked curiously, looking over Ashe in a way that almost made her uncomfortable. "She still seems rather stable."

"Stable does not mean obedient."

Girouette openly laughed. Ashe looked at him with a rather hard stare. How _dare_ he laugh at her...!

"Don't laugh." Mrs Bonne told Girouette in a tone that matched her daughter's face.

"I apologize," Girouette told her, "But... it was rather amusing."

"For you." Mrs Bonne hissed at him. "You've only had five years with your little beast."

Girouette laughed again, this time he did try to keep it contained- but the attempt failed rather miserably. Ashe did not see what was so funny for him. Then again, she almost felt like she was missing half of a rather important conversation. Why was she in the middle of this again?

"How old are you now, young lady?" Girouette then asked Ashe when he was done holding down his laugher.

"Twenty-one." Ashe replied in a small voice, feeling rather wary about the Reploid after he had laughed at her for a good three minutes. Girouette raised an eyebrow with genuine surprise.

"That's a 0.6% growing rate." he remarked, as he looked at Mrs Bonne in awe. "You weren't kidding when you said your freak was special."

"Hey...!" Ashe said in a sense of awareness. "Only Momma can call be a freak!"

"My apologizes if I upset you." Girouette told her rather genuinely. "It's just that... never mind. Ren would have told you the details if she wanted you to know."

Ashe raised an eyebrow. Maybe she _was_ missing part of a rather important conversation after all...

Girouette gave her a rather mysterious smile then turned his attention to Mrs Bonne again.

"They're pushing the modification sooner than we thought." he told the Reploid woman. "The Trinity wants the limits finished on humans within the next few weeks. Days, if they had their way."

"You could always hide him here," Mrs Bonne told Girouette, "While you forge whatever paperwork you need to clear him out of it."

"Personally, I'd like to know what they're smoking. Must be some pretty heavy stuff for them to want to get that done so quickly."

Ashe looked at her mother, then at Girouette. She knew a little about this part of the conversation; the Sage Trinity passed a law movement wherein humans must have robotic parts and Reploids must have lifespans. It was an act to create equality between the two groups, but all it was doing at the moment was causing controversy.

"The world is going to hell," Mrs Bonne then said to no one in particular, "Blurring our lines is only going to push it further into chaos."

There was a silence as Mrs Bonne's words settled into everyone's mind, and unconsciously, they turned to look at Ashe. Ashe, herself, started to feel small and fearful at the idea. Her existence in whole didn't mean blurring the lines between human and Reploid- it meant tearing them down.

"I can't let them take him away." Girouette said to no one, perhaps more to himself than to the two ladies present. "They'll take away what made him special. They'll take away his heritage. They'll take away the only connection he has to..."

"I made a promise to her, and I'm going to keep it." Mrs Bonne told Girouette, snapping him out of his trance with her stern tone. "The pup and I will always be here for your freak. And I promise you, the same way I promised her, we will protect him with everything we have. Even if it's our own lives."

Girouette let out a hardened sigh as his mind wandered to his charge.

"I made a promise too." he said as he shook his head. "If all goes well, you won't see him any time soon."

Mrs Bonne looked Girouette over and gave him a solemn nod.

"I trust your judgment." she said in closing.


	6. Grey

"Ashe slow down!"

"Nah, you gotta try to keep up!"

Racing Billy would have been a lot more fun (and a lot more rewarding) if her friend was a lot faster. It was an awful shame too, really, considering he was the Reploid among them.

"Ashe if you don't slow down we're going to get lost!" Billy called out. Ashe only laughed at him as she went in further. Serpentining between trees, jumping over large rocks, checking every once and again to make sure Billy was still behind her; Ashe went further and further into territory she wasn't familiar with all in the name of a good chase. She only stopped when she got to a bridge. Billy caught up only seconds later and looked at over the bridge with her.

"We need to go back." Billy told her, pulling on her sleeve to coax her back in the opposite direction. But she shrugged him off and started to head toward the door. Uncomfortable, Billy followed behind her. They got up to the door to find it locked; Ashe then tried to find a way to open it up.

"Ashe don't do it." Billy warned while the freak haphazardly pressed buttons on the door. A confirming beep sent the door slowly siding to the side with a particularly dangerous cackle coming from Ashe.

"Too late." she mused before going inside.

"Oh my god..." Billy groaned as he grudgingly followed her in.

The inside was dusty and appeared to haven't been touched in years. It didn't stop Ashe from looking around at everything with a child's curiosity. Billy trudged along- taking note of places where it looked like someone had a pretty nasty gun fight here at some point.

"This place is _great_!" Ashe hollered, if only just to hear her echo and not out of sincere interest. "Don't you think it's just so _GREAT_ Billy?!"

"I think I hate you."

"Let's have a party here!" Ashe continued to shout, "We'll invite everyone, even my cousins!"

"You don't have any cousins." Billy told Ashe sternly.

"Maybe I do." Ashe rebutted defiantly. "And they're right under our nose too. You just don't know it yet."

Billy rolled his eyes, completely unimpressed. Ashe chuckled in return, starting to lean against a glass containment capsule- not even a second later an alarm went off. The hybrid jumped off the glass in surprise and spun around to look at it.

"Ashe, what did you do!?" Billy screamed as he searched for a way to turn the alarm off. He didn't get an answer though as Ashe stared at the containment capsule. The glass separating them from an unnamed Reploid started to slide down to the floor, lowering the Reploid inside to the point where Ashe could nearly touch the top of his head. She wanted for the glass to lower completely, before stepping up into the capsule to get a better look.

Ashe's eyes widened as she inspected the Reploid from head to toe. He had been rejected as some point (this place _had_ been abandoned after all), but even then he still seemed to be… alive…? Ashe lulled this over as she ran her hand against his hair. Surprisingly soft, the Reploid's light gray hair inspired a name for Ashe to call him.

Grey.

She was going to call him Grey.

"Ashe…" Billy whispered, partially from shock, the rest in fear, "There's nothing we can do for him. Let's go before someone comes after us."

Grudgingly, Ashe did as she was told. As she backed away, she just now realized that the alarm been silenced. Billy probably found a way to shut it off, or it went off on its own when the glass separating the Reploid between them had finished its descent.

"Sorry Ashe." Billy said to her as they started to head back. "But when a Reploid's abandoned by their owner, there isn't much we can do for them."

The hybrid freak grimaced; what was that old saying? One man's rejected Reploid is another's best friend?

. . .

It was night when Ashe made her way back to the mysterious laboratory. She successfully made it inside and went straight to the containment capsule. To her surprise, however, it was now empty.

"Who are you?" someone from behind Ashe questioned in a soft, yet eerily dark, tone. Ashe only turned her head a fraction of a centimeter in an attempt to see who had snuck up on her. A small glimpse was all she needed to grin wide before looking forward again to forge a shred of innocence.

"I'm a lot of things." Ashe declared with a shrug. "A puppy, a freak, a daughter, a brat… maybe even a cousin."

The exposed wire crackled against Ashe's neck as the Reploid forced it closer toward her. "You do not have a cousin." he told her. "I overheard the conversation you had with that other person. Glass, as it seems, is not that thick."

"What conver-" Ashe started to say before she realized what he was talking about. "Oh, _that _conversation… with Billy. He's a great kid and all, but he sure can be a wet blanket some times."

"He's not a kid." came the short retort, "And humans can not morph into new objects, let alone a 'wet blanket', however lackluster it sounds."

"It's a figure of speech." Ashe replied with an eye roll. "It means he's boring; particularly when I'm around. Also, if you want to be so literal, Billy's not even human any way- he's a Reploid like you.

"Reploid..." he reflected for a moment. "What is a Reploid?"

Forgetting that he had placed wires so close to her neck, Ashe whipped her head around to look at him.

"You don't know what a Reploid is?!" she uttered in pure surprise. He didn't answer her and instead looked at her hand where one of his wires was touching her. The exposed end laid on the backside of her hand exchanging little blue bolts of static between the two of them: Ashe wasn't even aware that it was on her either. Grey looked at her with an ambiguous expression before she realized that the wire was on her- she jumped away quickly, acting as if the wire had hurt her, but they both knew the truth.

"If that person… Billy, was not human- are you not human either?" the Reploid questioned, squinting at her with distrustful eyes. "There was enough voltage in that wire to burn flesh, yet yours acts as if it wasn't touched."

Ashe said nothing as she continued to keep up her act of being hurt. Without warning, Grey took her by the neck- in return, Ashe gasped in surprise as the Reploid slowly started to lift her up in the air.

"Who are you?" he asked one last time, so slow and dark that Ashe nearly grew pale.

"A-Ashe." she managed to stutter, "Ashe Bonne."

"Ashe?" Grey questioned as he tightened his grip around her neck- but then something clicked in his mind as he loosened his fist. "Ashe… Bonne… Ashe…?"

Slowly, Ashe felt her feet touch the ground again as the Reploid let go of her to fall over into a heap. Immediately, Ashe checked him over to see if he was alright. He had shut down, but other than that he still seemed to be rather operational. Ashe picked him up and carefully slung him over her shoulder before starting to head back home.

Why her name was the thing to shut him down was baffling enough, but if he was going to hurt her, they were going to finish this on her turf.


	7. Mother

It never quite occurred to her what would happen when her mother saw him. Admittedly, she wasn't quite ready for the unholy rage that was Ren Bonne's fury.

"You _stole_ a Reploid from a guarded laboratory?! What the hell where you thinking Ashe?!" Mrs Bonne screeched. "Do you even know what the punishment is for removing developed Reploids from their owners?"

"I don't see how you would care!" Ashe spat back. "You're head of the freaking black market, home of everything stolen- how are you surprised that I came back with a Reploid? Maybe I just wanted a boyfriend!"

"Do we _look_ like Giro fucking Express, pup?" Mrs Bonne replied without a second thought, "We deal with bounties, not bodies. You know as well as I do that human -or Reploid- trafficking is against our code."

"Didn't stop you from taking me in." Ashe rebutted without thinking.  
"If I did not want you, you would have never existed." the aged Reploid whispered in a dangerous tone. "You do not know why this Reploid between us was abandoned, and it's more than likely that his true owner will return to get him some day. And what is that owner going to do when he finds out how you got in? How you took such an immense breach in the security, how could you even…?"

"It was my hand Momma." Ashe darkly proclaimed, interrupting Mrs Bonne. "I put my hand on a scanner the door had, and the next thing I knew the door opened. It was the same thing with his containment unit. The security system reacted to_ my_ genetic code. Why?"

For a moment, Mrs Bonne stopped the processes that allowed a Reploid to mimic the act of breathing. She stared straight at Ashe, unblinking. To any human that wasn't familiar with Reploids, one could have easily assumed Mrs Bonne had deactivated- but Ashe knew it was because of something else. Something that made Mrs Bonne brilliantly furious. Something that was supposed to be a secret.

"He's not my prototype, is he?" Ashe questioned.

"You were not born a Reploid, child." Mrs Bonne scoffed.

"A different kind of experiment then," Ashe carefully decided, "By someone in my… Di's family. Someone from… from Poppa's side of the family- the side you never seem to talk about..."

Mrs Bonne did not answer, but started to regulate her bodily movements once more. The fingers in her hands slowly started to clench into a fist and a new light shone in her eyes. It was a light that Ashe had never seen in her mother before; it almost looked like… fear.

"He would not have wanted to keep his family from you a secret, pup." the aged Reploid finally said. "But I refused to tell you because I do not want to be responsible for any of your opinions with or against Master Albert."

"What does Master Albert have to do with anything?!" Ashe demanded.

"He was Di's cousin." Mrs Bonne informed her child carefully. "And he built that very Reploid laying between us; a Reploid that, in all but terminology, is _your_ cousin."

For a moment, Ashe wasn't sure how to respond. Saying it out loud just seemed to validate her suspicions.

"Was that why the reporter woman came around a year ago?" Ashe slowly asked. "To tell me about the truth? The truth you wanted to hide just because you don't like how the Sage Trinity runs things?!"

"She was going to take you away; report you to Albert for a bounty. There's a price on your head, girl, did you even know that? I kept you away from any interaction from those who sought to take you away from me for any reason, and I had planned on keeping it like that."

Ashe's body trembled with slow rising anger as her fingers started to curl into a fist. "So you wanted to cage me? Surround me with folks who only bore with me because you told them to? I have to be unleashed sometime Momma! You have to die sometime too!"

"I am not going to unleash you while there are people out there who could kill you!" Mrs Boone fired back. "Conceiving and raising you has been the hardest part of my life that I do not want to take back; one false move out in the world and all of your life is gone in a blink! All of your life, all that I've done for you, all of that time that I can't bring back; You stupid, ungrateful pup, I'm keeping you alive! I'm keeping you with me! You are never going anywhere!"

Ashe took a step back in shock and surprise. It never quite occurred to her that her mother loved her, sure the inherit idea of it was present, but not the actual feeling of it. Ren Bonne loved no one, not even her own husband, but she… she loved her daughter enough to suffocate her in lies and isolation. Now Ashe wasn't sure whether to cry or be more angry.

Interrupting their thoughts and line of thinking, Grey started to mutter something in his half aware state on the table between the two women. They both stared at him as if suddenly aware of his presence as he attempted to sit up.

"So loud..." he grumbled sleepily. "Will any of your conversations be quiet for once?"

Grey sat up and looked around slowly, his eyes eventually falling on Mrs Bonne.

"Ren Bonne…" the Reploid slurred, as if unsure of his own thoughts, "I'm not supposed to like you..."

"Do you know why?" Mrs Bonne questioned darkly.

"No."

"Then ignore it." she then insisted, "Never act on feelings you can not justify."

Grey gave Mrs Bonne a side look before turning his head around to look at Ashe. He didn't look very amused to see her.

"I know your name, but I do not know about you." he uttered tonelessly. "There's something about you, a connection, and it grinds on my nerves so much that I..." Suddenly, Grey flinched as if someone had hit him, then reached for his head with agony. Calmly, Ren positioned herself behind Grey and opened a hidden panel at the back of his neck. As she reorganized whatever the panel hid, Grey started to relax again.

"Better?" Mrs Bonne curtly asked. Grey nodded. "Would you like me to detach the restraint collar and accompanying wires from your past imprisonment as well?"

"Don't!" Ashe quickly interjected, earning her an equal, blank look from Mrs Bonne and Grey, "Leave them on, they make him look unique… and cool!"

Mrs Bonne glared at Ashe before turning to Grey to inquire, "Do you disagree?" The younger Reploid stared back at the older Reploid with little emotion. Come to think of it, has he ever shown any kind of emotion this entire time?

"I have very few memories and desires, just inert commands like having a dislike for you." Grey started to say. "I know now that you have a strange urge of protection toward your daughter, and I am half scared to tell you that I did plan on fatally harming her. It should be your call to remove them as I could have harmed the thing you love."

Mrs Bonne recoiled a bit. Her cold expression unwavering as she made up her mind.


	8. Respect

She would never admit it to anyone's face -she hated even thinking about it, honestly- but the Reploid… Grey… was a good hand around the market. Faster than Ashe's normal walking pace, never waited and loafed around to talk (or antagonize) the merchants, and he always agreed to whatever she demanded. No back talk, no excuses, no… anything. It was fantastic. And it was just as terrifying.

Albert knew how to make a damn fine Reploid, and that was the unfortunate shame.

Her own daughter didn't come to attend to her duties until later in the day, almost around lunchtime. Even then, Ashe was still dressed as if she had just gotten up, still wearing her pajamas and her hair looking as if a hurricane had blown through. Mrs Bonne was not happy to see her this way, but there were few (if any) days when the Reploid was happy to see her daughter loafing around.

"When were you gonna wake me up Momma?" yawned Ashe without a true care in the world.

"As seeing you found someone to do your job for you, I elected to not even bother." came the tart reply.

"Thanks." Ashe smirked, giving another yawn as she stretched her arms out.

"You're not off the hook yet, pup." Mrs Bonne then retaliated, smirking herself. "Since you've had yourself a nice rest, you'll have no qualms with helping Taniyen haul in furniture."

"Like, nice lawn chairs and stuff, right?"

Mrs Bonne shook her head as she let out a rather nasty chuckle. "Refrigerators, wardrobes, and stoves, my little freak."

In hearing this, Ashe let out a well rehearsed, pitiful groan as she turned back around to get properly dressed. Mrs Bonne gave a rather satisfied smirk on her part as she turned around to see Grey casually make his way past her.

"Stop right there." she then demanded. "Where do you think you're going?"

Grey looked up at her as if he hadn't been aware that she had been standing there, and blinked.

"I _said_," Mrs Bonne emphasized, her tone darkening, "Where do you think you're-"

"Going?" Grey finished tonelessly. "I was requested to help vender number 77-97-114-116-121; Marty, I believe his name was. He saw me work with vender number 108-111-117 and thought that I could be useful to his business. I believe he deals with simulated electrical pulses- variances of the human heart beat and regulation within Reploid bodies. He makes a rather interesting conversation topic, but fails to make it entertaining."

"Inform Marty that he needs to come to _me_ if he needs more help." Mrs Bonne snapped. "He knows that he can not simply ask some Reploid to do the job instead. It has been a policy before he even took up shop here."

"I figured that was your law." Grey agreed, "So I decided to inform him that I should not be able to help him unless we have your permission. And with your reaction, I'm going to assume that it is negative. Would you like me to inform him that you disagreed to our partnership?"

Mrs Bonne's mouth tightened into a firm line, her expression not easily readable. Grey simply looked back at her, awaiting further instruction like a Reploid created with a predetermined goal. No… not a Reploid, an android. He looked at her as if he were nothing more than an android created with a single goal in mind; and in knowing Albert Weil, it involved disliking her.

"Would you like me to tell Marty that you would not like us working together?" Grey asked again patiently.

"Yes." Mrs Bonne curtly agreed. "Then tell him to come see me immediately. We need to have a talk."

"Yes ma'am." Grey affirmed before leaving. Mrs Bonne glared at him, her mind going blank before she went to regulate the rest of the market.

. . .

Ashe wasn't sure whether she was jealous that her mother took notice of Grey, or if she wasn't used to her mother giving anyone attention at all. The mischievous bits of the hybrid were working over time to think of ways to determine her thoughts. She had faint feelings that Mrs Bonne did harbor some sense of respect toward the newcomer, but how was she going to make her mother admit that when they were all a bunch of stubborn idiots?

Maybe….

Ashe snapped her fingers when an idea came to her then immediately ran to get Grey. Without warning, the freak took the Reploid by the wrist and started to drag him along with her.

"What are you doing?" he questioned her, unsure of whether to be surprised or knowing that this was going to happen eventually.

"I have a plan!" Ashe exclaimed happily.

"And what's that?"

A grin grew on Ashe's face that it would have been almost creepy. "You'll see."

Grey didn't even know that he could fear someone so much before she gave him that look.

. . .

"What you need to Momma's respect. And I can tell you, doing that is hard- like, really hard. Like, I don't even think_ I_ have her respect most of the time; that's why she likes chaining me here, away from other folks..."

Grey raised an eyebrow at Ashe as she slowly lost track of what she was trying to say. After thinking thoughtfully for a few moments, Ashe shook her head and returned to Grey. She stared at him for the longest time without saying a thing -something, he figured, that surely would have been a new record for her- and it slowly made him increasingly disturbed.

"What?" the Reploid asked as he raised an eyebrow at the freak's inquisitive glare.

"Do you have any other expressions besides stoic, or… or _dead_?" Ashe questioned with a mild pout, exaggerating said expressions with her own face.

"I don't follow." Grey told her, shaking his head. Ashe looked away for a moment to mumble something similar to 'I'll make you follow' before returning to her cousin. In turn, Grey gave her a rather slow blink.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mrs Bonne unexpectedly questioned from behind them. Ashe acted as if someone had shocked her as she turned around to face her mother, while Grey gave a blink to look Mrs Bonne in the eye.

"Ashe thought that I could learn to impress you, as she feels we have a lot in common." Grey informed the older Reploid without a second wasted. Straightening herself up a bit, Mrs Bonne glared at her freak- who then attempted to say something but only came off as a dying cat. Ashe had stepped out of line, and she knew it too well. With invisible and unspoken words floating between the two women, the hybrid freak hightailed herself away from the situation, leaving Grey at the mercy of a less than amused Ren Bonne.

"Nothing you could do would ever impress me Grey," she then told him darkly, "Remember that."

"I have a feeling ma'am, that no matter what I do -no matter how quickly or efficiently I do it- you will always have a certain grudge against me. And… perhaps it's not truly I you are mad at, but that is simply how your anger unfolds."

Mrs Bonne raised an eyebrow at Grey, allowing him to continue his deduction.

"I understand." he concluded shortly after. "You are not my creator after all, so I will forgive you; even if you can't forgive him."

The older Reploid pursed her lips into a tight line as she glared down the younger Reploid.

Albert _really_ knew how to make a damn fine Reploid…. Fuck.

"Grey..." Mrs Bonne then started to say, closing her eyes as if what she was going to say would pain her. "Take the day off. Take every Tuesday off if you so desire. You work harder than Ashe, then you will be rewarded better than Ashe. My own grudges should not be held against you, so I will treat you like any other vendor here; which means negotiable free time."

Grey blinked, looking almost as if he had misheard her. Mrs Bonne was almost sure for a moment that she had misheard herself, and she knew full and damn well that she wasn't going to repeat it until the next lifetime- if that.

"I… am grateful for you tolerance." Grey said to her slowly, as if saying his words would set her off like a clockwork bomb. "But I refuse the offer."

"What?!"

"Instead," the young Reploid continued, "I could help aid you in other areas outside this compound; particularly with Ashe's safety. Have you noticed that there's been a certain… air recently that seems to prelude danger?"

Shocked that he had denied her offer, Mrs Bonne did not answer at first. Eventually, she did nod her head.

"I heard the head of Slither Inc. has fallen." she affirmed. "To… to freaks, such as Ashe is. The loss has offered a severe blow to the Sage Trinity, as Serpent was a leading force behind the new renovations of the inner sanctums of Kirjath Arba."

Grey nodded. "I feel as if there will be a hostile movement from the Sage Trinity after this. Something is… crumbling. A core… or… or something very, very horrifying. I think… I believe that it may target Ashe, as she is in relation of my creator."

"And what about you?" Mrs Bonne questioned.

"He didn't want me." came the simple reply. "But he'll want Ashe. Please ma'am, Ashe is no more unique than the two that cut down Serpent, I will protect her for you no matter the cost. Consider this as repayment, for attempting to fatally harm her previously."

One of these days, Ren Bonne was going to cross paths with Albert Weil and question him without mercy on how he built his Reploids. The sincerity of this one was too much, there was no way that Albert had built him, absolutely no fucking way.

"Please protect my daughter Grey." Ren Bonne requested, while at the same time admitting defeat. The young Reploid got down to his knees and gave a full bow at her feet.

"On my life Ren Bonne."


	9. Easier

Ashe had been led to believe that joining the Hunter's Guild had been her idea.

It was actually Grey's idea. But what seemed to make it even more surprising, Mrs Bonne agreed to it.

The fall of Slither Inc had made a rather interesting situation in Kirjath Arba, which in turn caused an interesting increase for new members in the Hunter's Guild. Billy had left to join the Hunter's Guild some time ago. When Ashe declared she was joining the Hunters, the ensuing torment she gave Lazarus, Nicol, and Red led to them signing up as well. It was likely an act of having some familiar faces around on the freak's part, but at this point, the other vendors around the black market were glad to get rid of her.

Of course, Mrs Bonne had some things to tell Grey about her daughter.

"The girl will try to get out of your grasp, make sure she remains in your sight no matter what." Mrs Bonne warned him, her features still and making her point stick. "If you even think of letting her go alone somewhere, ensure that someone is watching her. Do you understand me Grey?"

The Reploid nodded. "Yes ma'am." he agreed.

"And Grey..." Mrs Bonne then added, her face subtly changing. Many humans wouldn't have been able to catch it, but Grey was able to.

"Yes ma'am?" he answered, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"If anything happens to my child, so help me I will find you, dismantle you, and sent you to android hell where all the robots scream at you. Then I'll dig up your rotting corpse, burn it in front of your creator like a naked wiccan, and then strangle that bastard for creating you in the first place. Are we clear?"

Lulling this over, Grey looked down for a moment then looked back up at Mrs Bonne.

"If anything happens to your child," he then told her, "Then you wouldn't need to do any of that. I will dismantle myself, heave my body parts to android hell and back, then present myself to my creator with all intents to end our lives to avenge your daughter's."

Mrs Bonne paused for a moment, looking at him with a cold stare that could have broken lesser beings. But he was honest and sincere, and in knowing this Mrs Bonne's old eyes subtly glossed over with tears. "Grey," Mrs Bonne sighed in defeat, "Thank you. So much. I have no idea what Albert did to create a Reploid like you, but he sure did a damn good job at doing it."

For the first time she had known him, and possibly the first time in his life, Grey had smiled. The older Reploid felt so impressed that she offered a smile back at him, and knowing that this was sincere, Grey blushed.

. . .

Ashe was nearly done packing. She was so excited, she swore that she wasn't thinking or seeing as clearly as she could. Her room, the room she had been accustomed to for so many years, was now bare. It wasn't a very impressive area to begin with, small enough to barely contain a twin bed and looking crowded with just a few posters, Ashe found herself feeling empty.

Tomorrow she would never see this room again. Tomorrow she might not even see her mother again. She was going to have Grey though, and a few of her friends, wasn't that enough?

Interrupting her thoughts, Grey came through the door and looked around the room for a moment before turning his attention to her.

"Are you ready to go?" he questioned tonelessly.

"Just about." the hybrid agreed. "You never quite appreciate how poor you really lived when you realize that most of your suitcase is filled with posters than clothes."

"Aren't you going to pack some undergarments?" Grey inquired, if only to make sure she had everything and not out of genuine concern. A wide, cat-like smile stretched across Ashe's face.

"Quite naturally dear cousin, I've gone commando since birth!" she declared as if it were something to be proud of. Grey retaliated by giving Ashe a hard stare so emotionless, he looked like a still doll.

"How has no one taken advantage of you yet?" he questioned, his tone truly curious now as it was concerned. "You're a hazard to yourself and everyone around you."

"I was on a very tight leash." Ashe grinned in a bragging, matter of fact tone.

"Well that's about to change." Grey muttered sarcastically.

"It is… isn't it?" Ashe then mumbled to herself as she locked her suitcase up.

. . .

She could had been intimidated if she really wanted to by Hunters camp. It was like a community all its own. Everything seemed to be alive too. Hunters yelling at each other to retrieve something, some others running somewhere as if they were late, and there were two folks that Ashe swore had just went through a very loud breakup as she and Grey walked by.

Grey's reactions were just like every other reaction he had; none. He did a pretty good job of keeping her in his eye sight in this new environment- she could almost see her mother smile approvingly at his action. Ashe wondered how long it would last.

"You'll find that we Hunters are a tight knit community. We work off each other and help each other as Mega Man X once aspired to." a Hunter assigned to show them (and a few other new faces) around the facility before taking them directly to training. "It's just as they say around here, 'You gotta hit the ground before you can turn around', and that's exactly how the Hunter's Guild operates. No one's gonna hand hold you, but boost you so you can boost them as well. No one will support you if you don't give them support back. We can all be a big family around here, but you are the one who decides how well we get along. Now, are you greenhorns ready for your first training session?"

Grey turned to Ashe, knowing that she would be undergoing the more extensive of the training "Are you ready?" he asked Ashe. She thought about it for a moment before looking back at him with a wide, confident smile.

"Yeah, I think I am."

-…-

_My name is Ashe Bonne. I was born from the flames of both human and Reploid entities. I'm a hazard to myself and those around me with little prejudice between the two. Depending on who you ask, I'm either the world's greatest mistake or the greatest thing to come around since the Maverick Hunters. I was loved, even though it was never said, and I was hated, which was said a lot, but none of that matters now._

_I know my mother assigned Grey as my body guard. But I don't need him, I can escape his judgmental gazes easier than I ever could with mother's. Maybe he knows that he can give me more space- maybe he knows that keeping a tight leash on me would be useless at this point. Maybe, he's just as curious about this new world as I am, so he explores on his own as well. Other folks have their opinions on Grey and I, but he is my cousin- I will accept him no other way._

_I never knew that I was being protected against the outside world. I was sheltered. I was chained and leashed. But I wasn't pampered. I wasn't spoiled. I was expected to obey and never could, so I found ways to be a right nuisance and freeloader that everyone hated. No one wanted to put up with me, no one really had a choice either. Everything my mother did was to protect me, but what protection does it bring when it leaves me oblivious to everything else? No, not any more._

_My name is Ashe, and I set my own destiny from here on out._

_Got it?_


End file.
